The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-13
A COR0NET OF MISERY.
THE FATE OF A SOUTH CAROLINA
GIRL WHO Welded A TITLE.

She Becomes the Wife of an Italian
Count and After Long Course Of
Brutality Is Shut Up in an Italian
Mad House-Her Rescue and Death.
Special Correspondence of the Mem Yorl; Star.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Sept. THE Count
eSs Alexina Leonetti, who died here few
days ago, was before marriage Miss
Alexina Chisholm, favorite daughter in
one of the wealthiest and most distinguished
families of South Carolina. She was bril-
liantly educated, handsome, and possessed of
a voice of phenomenal beauty.
After the close of the war she went abroad
with her father, and while travelling ON the
Continent made the acquaintance of Count
Leonetti, who, as the sequel shows, proved
to be a mere adventurer of the most de-
PRAYED italian type. Putting his empty
title and pretensions against her American
gold, he so far succeeded in ingratiating
himself in the affections of the attractive
young lady as to win her hand. In less than
a year she became the Countess Leonetti,
and the occupant Of a palace in Florence
For time everything went well with her,
but finally the passionate lover unveiled his
true character, and Alexina found herself
deserted for the gambling salon and the
demi-monde Heavy drafts were made
upon her purse for his support amid these
designations, and the good-natured father
humored the belief that after awhile the gay
Italian would SOW his wild oats and settle
| down to a more quiet life But he was mis-
taken. The more the Count received, the
more he demanded.
One day, on returning home the Countess
| found installed in her place woman who
had ofiiciated as her maid. This was too
much for proud nature to endure, and the
Countess, taking such of her jewels as her
| husband had not pawned or Sold returned
to Charleston with her father.
The Count now played another role He
pretended penitcnce and reformation. He
wrote beseeching letters to the effect that
his fathers death had secured to him prop
erty that before he had been unable to
touch. In short, he wanted her to come
back t. her Italian home and be once more
happy.
Womanlike, she yielded and rejoined her
husband, leaving her father in America
| But it was only to be once more disap-
pointed. She found that her place was
virtually filed by the French maid, who
was nominallv retained in the capacity of
| hair dresser to the Countess Meanwhile
I the drafts upon her exchequer continued
until the demand became simply exorbitant
One morning while arranging tbs hair of
| the Countess the maid brought her cup of
coffee 1t was drank and in a few minutes
violent spaSms occurred. A physician was
summoned, and after questioning the
| patient, asked for the cup for the purpose of
examining its contents The maid declared
that they had been thrown away, and at
the same time offered her glass of wine.
Take it away-nothing more from YOU
said the Countess. II have been poisoned,
| doctor, in my own house,
Poisoned in the palace of a Leonetti!
I a.. s 4 MI
| possible, madamem
"Oh, dOctorl" she cried, 'save mer-but
before she could finish the sentence she be-
came delrious, and for days remained in an
| unconscious state.
| When reason returned she found herself
| in strange place, surrounded by strange
| looking and acting people II was lunatic
asylum, to which she had been conveyed by
orders of the Count, with instructions that
| she should not be allowed to communicate
| by sign, word or writing with any person
| outside of the institution. In Italy hus-
bands control over the wife is absolute,
and consequently his instructions We're car
! ried out to the letter.
One day. however, the Countess managed
to have letter conveyed to the American
! Consul, in which she begged him to come to
the asylum He did SO, but was refused adj
| mittance. During this incarceration the
| Count was drawing upon her father in
| Charleston, under the pretense that she per-
sonally required the money in order to meet
| the heavy charges of the institution to
which she had voluntarily retired for treat
ment. These drafts We're duly honored, I'M
til at last, the suspicious of Mr.. Chisholm
being aroused, he himself communicated
with the American Charge d'Affairs in
Florence, requesting him to make an in
vestigation of the circumstances. The lat
| ter did so, but it was only by the exercise of
| his official 0uthOritU that ha uvac ana a1 70
obtain personal interview with the Count
| ess, when he learned the facts, which de-
tormined him to take steps for her immedi-
| ate release.
After much trouble the latter was secured,
and, shattered in health and broken in
| SPIRIT she was sent back to America, ac-
companied by female compan:ol. The
| father, who was also in feeble health, met
her on her arrival, but the meeting was a
terrible one. The daughter, with whom he
had parted in the bloom of youth, had re-
| turned to his arms a mental and physical
wreck. The brown, luxuriant hair had
turned to gray, the graceful figure had lost
its rounded outlines, and the brilliant mind
was almost blank. 1t was hoped that the
change of scene and the revival of old as
sociates would accomplish cure, but in
this her friends were destined to be dsap-
pointed. The death of her father a few
weeks later only served to increase the bur
den she had already borne, and practically
she retired from the world, denying herself
in her melancholy even to her old servants
Now and then her beautiful voice could
be heard ringing out in the quiet stiffness of
the night and guests of the hotel in which
she resided would gather around her door
and marvel, for the sad story was known to
but few. SO the weeks and months passed by.
Last week all that was mortal of Aexina.
the Countess Leonetti. was consigned to the
grave, and tears fell from the eyes of many
a friend who but little while ago envied
her in the ownership of proud title that
had cost life
Queer Theft from a Mint